The prior art is replete with various types of educational and amusement games, computing and cryptographic devices, calendars, reference and conversion devices, and similar items of manufacture, in which an indicia bearing component and a cursor or cover member are rotatable or otherwise movable relative to one another to permit viewing of or to assist in the selection or use of certain of that indicia. Many such prior art games and devices have been combined or integrated with writing instruments and other relatively small items intended to be carried and used by individuals.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,270,754, 3,640,531, 2,965,980 and 625,188, for example, disclose the use of a pair of relatively rotatable discs for selecting and/or viewing different groups of indicia. A grid of letter or numbers is shown as being formed on a lower disc or plate, with different groups of those letters or numbers being visible through one or more apertures in an upper cover or disc. The devices disclosed in these patents, of course, would have only one function, would be relatively large and bulky, could not be conveniently carried and used, and hence would have little appeal except possibly as parlor type games.
Illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,365,819, 3,365,820 and 924,406 are pen and pencil cases comprised of a pair of telescopically and roratably slidable tubular members. In each device, the inner tubular member is shown as bearing a series of words, pictures, numbers and/or other indicia, and the outer tubular member is illustrated as having one or more apertures through which different portions of the indicia may be viewed as the tubular members are moved to various positions relative to one another. Although these case devices do have the capability of serving two different functions, they would still represent large and bulky products which could not be carried or used conveniently or inconspicuously, which would have little use or appeal outside of a home or classroom, and which would be of little interest or value to one desiring a spelling game.
In the cryptographic devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,621,424 and 875,070, columnar letter/number grids are shown as being carried on an inner tubular member, with various groups of those letters/numbers being selectively viewable through one or more apertures formed in an outer tubular member mounted for telescopic and rotatable movement on the inner member. While these devices may suggest the use of apertures in a cursor to select indicia from a columnar grid for the purpose of forming words, they obviously do not provide for a second function, they would be too large and bulky to permit convenient and inconspicuous transportation and use, and their cursors would lack any provision for the selection of different quantities of indicia.
Writing instruments have been shown in numerous prior patents as being combined with various other devices. For instance, it has been proposed that writing instruments be provided with structure adapted for use as
(i) calendars--see representative U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,531,885, 3,462,868, and 658,028; PA1 (ii) reference devices--see representative U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,504,076, 2,262,818, and 1,859,524; PA1 (iii) calculating and computing devices--see representative U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,738,037, 3,378,195, 2,792,992, and 2,777,636; and PA1 (iv) other devices of little or no pertinence with respect to the present invention.
In none of these combination devices, however, is there provision for any type of spelling game or any suggestion of a columnar grid of randomly distributed letters useful in any word forming activities. A number of prior U.S. Patents (of which U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,188,232, 2,131,624, 1,361,732 and D154,035 are representative) illustrate various clip designs of the type stamped from relatively thin sheet metal and comprised of a split mounting band integral with a deflectable clip arm. The band is radially expandable to slidingly receive the cap or barrel of the writing instrument with which it is to be assembled, and generally includes two equally sized apertures for decorative, weight reduction, resiliency control or other purpose. Although clip designs of this type generally are slidable relative to the surface on which they are mounted, none have been proposed for use as cursors or as utilizing their band apertures as viewing windows.
In addition to the various patented devices discussed above, a number of spelling games have been or are now being produced and marketed. In the well-known SCRABBLE game, for example, individual letter square are picked "blind" and then arranged on a playing surface to form words. Another popular spelling game is marketed by Parker Brothers under the name BOGGLE. One version of this game involves filling a tray with dice-like cubes which display letters rather than numbers. Words are then formed with the letters which appear next to each other on the cubes. In another version of this game, a plurality of strips containing randomly distributed letters are placed in a grid, and words are then spelled using adjacent letters. While these and other similar word spelling games have proven popular over the years, they obviously are parlor type games not conveniently carried or readily used while riding in an automobile, bus, train or airplane, while sitting in a public waiting room, or under other like circumstances. Rather, they are suitable for use only in the home or in other private facilities where adequate table space, set up time, etc. are available.